One of the fastest growing areas of communications technology is related to automobile network solutions. The demands and potential for wireless vehicle communication, networking and diagnostic services have escalated in recent years, with projections that by 2006 almost all new American cars will have some level of telematics service. Although many vehicles on the road today have limited wireless communication functions, such as unlocking a door and setting or disabling a car alarm, new vehicles offer additional wireless communication systems that help personalize comfort settings, run maintenance and diagnostic functions, place telephone calls, access call-center information, update controller systems, determine vehicle location, assist in tracking vehicle after a theft of the vehicle and provide other vehicle-related services. Drivers can call telematics call centers to receive navigational, concierge, emergency, and location services, as well as other specialized help such as locating the geographical position of a vehicle that is stolen and honking the horn of a vehicle to locate it in a large parking garage.
Electronic modules, including a telematics module, from a vehicle store configuration data for that specific vehicle in the module's memory. When an electronic module is removed from a vehicle it retains configuration parameters in non-volatile memory. If the electronic module is then installed in a different vehicle certain features specific to that vehicle are not available unless the parameters saved in the electronic module are modified. Electronic modules are recycled from other vehicles either through a reclamation or rework process or through hardware swapping in the field. An electronic module that is moved from a source vehicle to a target vehicle must be configured to provide the proper functions to the target vehicle. In some instances an electronic module will not operate properly if the configuration process is not executed after the electronic module is moved between vehicles. Service personnel cannot execute the configuration process if they are not aware of the required configuration process or do not have the proper equipment to initiate the process. A telematics service provider will not have the proper vehicle information and vehicle owner information in its database necessary to supply contracted services if a telematics module is not reconfigured when it is moved between vehicles.
It is desirable therefore, to provide a system and method for configuring an electronic module within a vehicle, that overcomes the challenges and obstacles described above.